


Contest Winner

by SassyChick69 (SweetNSassy69), SweetNSassy69



Category: Norman Reedus - Fandom, Real Person Fiction, The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead RPF
Genre: Complicated Relationships, F/M, Lies, RPF, Real person fanfiction - Freeform, Sex, The Walking Dead References, real person fiction - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-06 17:46:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11041155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetNSassy69/pseuds/SassyChick69, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetNSassy69/pseuds/SweetNSassy69
Summary: The contest:  Win a date with Norman Reedus to the premier of his new movie.  The complication: Unexpectedly have it lead to more.





	1. Chapter 1

Win a date was not his idea. Infact, , Norman had been vehemently opposed to it when it had been brought up in suggestions. But his PR team had won out, pointing out not only the fact that all the entry fees to participate in the contest would go to charity, but it was also great publicity for his new movie. So he’d been veto’d in the end. The winner of the date would accompany him to the opening premier of his movie, followed by the after party. And none of it would supposedly be awkward at all. At least it wasn’t a blind winner draw, meaning the winning person would be chosen by form of a letter explaining why they felt they should be picked to win, but also what charity was close to their heart, since thats where the proceeds from this contest would be donated. He’d chosen to put his trust in the experts to weed out the crazy’s, and then he’d help pick the finalist. The winner would not be chosen by him personally, so no one would claim he played favorites, since all were required to attach a picture along with their letter. Which was what brought him into his managers office today, to go over the finalist from the contest. He walked down the hall, greeting familiar faces before knocking lightly on Sarah’s door, pushing it open without invitation. Sarah was sitting at her desk, concentrating on a stack of paper work in front of her, but she lifted her head and grinned at him when he entered.  
“Norman!” she greeted, standing up and circling her desk to hug him.  
“Hey Sarah.” he hugged her back before plopping down into one of her overstuffed chairs “hows it going?  
“Great. Busy as hell.” she pushed a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear and moved to sit back down at her desk “I was expecting you, so I’ve just been going over the finalist from the contest that our team chose. I’m telling you Norman, these stories are great. I think you’re going to be pleased with whoever wins this.”  
“So what you’re saying is that it’s too late to back off this whole thing?” he asked with a sigh, taking a drink from his cup of coffee he’d carried in with him  
She laughed “Entirely too late, sorry buddy.” she placed a stack of vanilla file folders in front of him. “These are the final ten. It’s your job to narrow it down to three, and after that it’s out of your hands completely.”  
“No pressure” he tried to joke  
“This is supposed to be fun Norman.” she pointed out  
“Fun.” he scoffed “I hate blind dates.”  
“It’s not exactly a blind date. These women all know who you are. And after reading their essays, you’ll know a little more about them. And there are pictures, although please don’t be a typical man and chose from that alone. Although, I got to say, every woman in there is kinda cute.”  
“You know that I wouldn’t chose based off that alone.” he replied  
“I know. You’ve got a great heart. That’s why so many people love you, and so many people entered this contest. Do you know we raised over 100K doing this contest? Word is out there.”  
“I feel like I’m being auctioned off.”   
“Well, you are, kind of, in a way. But only for a night. And it’s all for a good cause. And the anticipation level for this movie is top notch. I’d say everyone is a winner with this project.” She stood up “I’m going to go put out an emergency in the next room. You start looking at these files.” she tapped the stack in front of him “I’ll catch up with you shortly”  
“Can’t wait.” he mumbled, opening the first file as she laughed, disappearing out of the room. The first woman was pretty, as Sarah had said, with shoulder length blonde hair and pouty red lips. She wanted to go on the date with him because he’d been her favorite actor every since she was a kid...how old was this girl? 22. The media would have a field day with that, he thought with a sigh. Her charity was one that helped shelters for domestically abused women. A good cause, a girl with a good heart, but he flipped it over and opened the next file. It featured a pretty woman with dark hair, closer to his own age, who again, had been a fan of his since his boondock saints days, and loved his work on the walking dead. Her charity was for cancer treatment centers, one that pulled at his own heart strings, he moved the file to a maybe pile. For the next 45 minutes, he read essays and looked at womens pictures. His eyes were starting to hurt, and he shut the last folder right as the door opened and Sarah came back in, smiling at him.  
“Sorry, emergency meeting next door. How’s it going in here?” she asked, sitting back down at her desk  
“OK I guess. It wasn’t easy narrowing down the choices, but I think I settled on these three.” he replied, handing her the files “Some of those essays were mentally exhausting to read.”  
“Yeah there were a few tear jerker stories in there.” she agreed, flipping open the folders of the women he chose. “A pediatrician, a veterinarian, and a nutritionist. Interesting choices.”  
“I saw it more as St. Judes, Animal Cruelty, and World Hunger.” he retorted  
“Or, a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead.” she shot back  
“Is there a problem?” he asked  
“No.” she shook her head, “I think I’m slightly surprised. I was sure you’d consider the massage therapist.”  
“I’m considering her alright.” he raised an eyebrow and grinned as he stood up “I’ll talk to you soon, I’m anxious to find out who my date is.”  
“you’re not slightly disappointed that it won’t be me this time?” she asked teasingly  
“of course. You should have entered the contest.” he replied  
“Shoulda' woulda' coulda'. Patrick would have killed me.” she replied, referring to her husband.  
“Patrick would kill me” he shot back  
“you’re probably right.” she laughed

:::::::

“You are such a good boy. We’re almost done here buddy.” Jaydn coo’d softly to the German Sheppard that lay on her surgical steel table, administering the last of his shots and stroking his head gently. She smiled at Mr. Sanders and tossed the syringe in the bio-hazard container “I think someone earned their treat today.”  
“Thank you.” Mr. Sanders smiled back at her as she reached over to grab a couple bone shaped doggy treats, holding them out to the German Sheppard, who thumped his tail on the table and gobbled them up eagerly  
“So now that Garry is up to date with all his shots, I hopefully won’t have to see him for awhile.” she added, bending down to pet the dog again, who had jumped off the table and was looking at his owner as if he was ready to get the hell out of there. Jaydn couldn’t blame him, she hated going to the doctor herself, and getting a shot besides? Equally awful.  
“Well I was wondering.” Mr. Sanders cleared his throat awkwardly “Would you like to maybe get dinner sometime?”  
“Oh.” the proposal threw Jaydn off. Sam Sanders was a sweet man, and attractive, but definitely not her type. She wasn’t even sure she had a type, but if she did, she didn’t feel like it was him. The truth was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to date anyone right now. For once she was grateful when her assistant Amy, busted into the room without knocking, allowing Jaydn to avoid answering the question.  
“Oh, sorry Mr. Sanders, I thought you were through.” Amy greeted “I can come back-”  
“No it’s OK Amy, we were just finishing up.” Jaydn interrupted, shooting her a look that warned her silently that she’d better not leave.  
Amy caught it “would you like me to walk Garry through the gates for you Mr. Sanders? There’s a few cats in the waiting area, and I know how much it upsets this guy to see them.” she turned and stroked the dogs fur lovingly  
“Sure, thanks Amy.” he nodded, looking at Jaydn helplessly as Amy picked up the dogs leash  
“have a good night Sam.” Jaydn smiled at him before picking up her clip board and hurrying out of the room. She sighed as the door shut behind her. That wasn’t fucking awkward at all. She washed her hands and headed towards the break room to pour a cup of coffee, feeling the tiredness in her shoulders. It had been a long day that hadn’t started out easy. She’d had an emergency surgery on a dog that was having trouble giving birth to her pups, luckily all four had turned out to be healthy and cute, and would be able to go home tomorrow; but that had just been the start; A cat that had been attacked by a racoon had to be stitched and vaccinated, and another dog had to have it’s leg set after a car hit it, the poor thing had been left in the road, but a passerby found it. The dog and it’s owner had been reunited in a happy ending, but Jaydn couldn’t help but think of the stories that didn’t end happily, and the people who were cruel enough to leave a dog laying in the road. When she saw situations like that, it made her glad she’d decided to be a vet; if people had so little regard for an injured animal, she shuttered to think how they treated other humans. Some days it was all she could do to be nice to people who brought in an animal that was sick because it had been neglected for so long, she couldn’t imagine if it was a child. She definitely chose the right line of work, animals were less complicated, emotionally at least.   
“You’re never going to fucking believe what just happened!” Amy entered the break room, her voice bouncing off the empty walls.   
“Mr. Sanders asked you out too?” Jaydn asked, setting down with her cup of coffee, blowing on it lightly  
“No!” Amy laughed “Is that what I interrupted?”  
“Just in time.”  
“How’d you leave it?”  
“Unanswered.”   
“God could you imagine him in bed?” Amy frowned “I bet he’d be so boring. He’d probably be dead silent and awkward the whole time. Like I bet he’d be the type to ask permission before he touched your boob.” she was raising her hand in the air as she talked, almost as if she were imagining it happening, lost in her own world for a minute. This was typical Amy. Loud, loveable, loyal, and a dreamer. She loved like a lamb and fought like a tiger for what she believed in, she cussed like a sailor and could be crude as hell. But all those reasons were what made Jaydn love her, first as an assistant, and then as her best friend.  
“Amy!” Jaydn finally interrupted “Is that what you came in here for, to talk about Mr. Sanders imaginary sex life?”  
“or lack there of.” Amy shrugged, but then turned a huge grin on her “but no, that’s not what I came in here for. What I’m about to tell you is un-fucking believable. I’m so excited for you.” she squeezed her hands together and was practically jumping up and down  
“Excited for me why?” Jaydn asked  
“OK first promise you won’t be mad.”  
“What did you do now?” she sighed, studying her friend wearily. “Do I even want to know?”  
“Trust me, this is a good thing.” Amy pulled out a chair “Remember that contest I told you about a few months ago, the win a date contest?”  
“Vaguely.”  
“come on, you remember. You had to submit a letter explaining why you would be the perfect person to be chosen to walk the red carpet with Norman Reedus at his movie premier. And if you won, you’d be flown to California with a friend to attend as his date, and go to the after party, and, proceeds from the contest would be donated to the charity of your choice.”  
“It’s coming back to me.” Jaydn nodded “I think we had a twenty minute conversation about imaginary sex with Norman. Then I reminded you that you were newly engaged and weren’t allowed to have imaginary sex or real sex with another man besides Kevin again.”   
“I remember. That’s why I didn’t enter the contest.” she shrugged  
“that’s probably a smart move.”  
“but you did.” she added  
“What?” Jaydn stared at her over the fake wooden table  
“I entered you in the contest. I didn’t tell you because I knew you’d freak out and yell at me, and realistically I thought, why stir that pot if there was no need, and honestly, no offense, with as many people who probably entered, I figured the chances were fucking slim-” she trailed off “but I just got the mail. You fucking won Jaydn!” she exclaimed excitedly  
“What?” she repeated, disbelief filling her body  
“You are walking the red carpet and attending the premier of Norman Reedus’s new movie with him as his date. In two weeks. And did I mention you get to bring a friend? Not that I’m saying you should choose me, but I am saying I’m available, if you want to choose me. Please choose me.” she added, holding up her hands in a prayer like stance  
“Back up a minute.” Jaydn felt the blood pumping through her veins “you fucking did what?”  
“I entered you-”  
“I get that part!” she interrupted impatiently “why? how? what the fuck Amy?”  
“I thought you’d be excited. “ Amy frowned  
“Excited? Please tell me this is a joke. This is a joke, right?”   
“I hope not. The letter sounds real. These plane tickets look real.” she held up the envelope in her hand  
“oh my God.”   
“How can you not be excited? Do you realize what this means? It means that we, if you take me with you anyway, get to meet Norman. We get to rub elbows with other famous people. We get to have the experience of a lifetime-”  
“we are not going.” Jaydn interrupted  
“OK, I understand that right now you’re a little pissed so I’m probably not your first choice, but-”  
“I don’t mean you’re not going. I mean we. As in both of us. I’m not doing this.” She pushed away from the table and stood up  
“Yes you are. You have to Jaydn.” Amy stood up as well  
“I don’t have to do anything.”   
“well, technically you kind of do.” Amy grimaced “you see, there’s several articles written about this already. It’s kind of a big deal if you’ve been following it. Obviously you haven’t, but I have, and so have hundreds of thousands of other people who have social media. I checked the page. Your names been announced already. You’ve got lovers, you’ve got haters now too who are jealous as hell of you. But mostly you’ve got a charity lined up ready to accept the donation that you’re making as a result of being the winner of this contest. So if you back out...it doesn’t look good.”  
“I could kill you Amy. For the first time in my life I can see how people turn into murdering psycho-paths.”  
“It will be fun.”  
“don’t talk to me.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Jaydn Anderson. Age 35. A Veterinarian from Miami. She’s cute.” Jeff held up the picture of the woman who would be joining Norman on the red carpet the next night, studying her “She reminds me of someone”  
“Snow White?” Norman asked, looking up from his phone distractedly, and at his friend Jeff, who had come to show his support for the new movie  
“You know what? I know that was probably meant to be sarcasm, but yeah, a little bit. Dark hair, porcelain skin, are you sure she’s from Miami? “ he turned the picture over to study the details again “yep. huh.” he shrugged “Well, again, she’s cute. Are you excited?”  
“Fucking nauseous about it honestly.” Norman replied  
“Why?”  
“This isn’t my thing. I don’t do stuff like this.” he gestured toward the picture  
“Then why did you?”  
“I didn’t.” he shrugged “I mean, it wasn’t my idea. I didn’t really have much of a choice.”  
“We always have a choice. But maybe this will be good for you. Sarah was right, this contest, with all the attention it’s received, has really hyped up your new movie. And the fact that it’s all in the name of charity, awesome PR maneuver.” he grinned as he set the picture down “And who knows, maybe this woman will be...fun.”  
“Fun. Is that word supposed to mean something else?”   
Jeff shrugged “I’m just saying, maybe she’ll be up for some fun.”  
“If you’re implying sex, I’m not going to even go down that road. I’m going to pick her up, take her to this movie screening, and make an appearance at the after party. If she wants to stay and mingle and be star struck that’s her call, but I’ll be done with my part by that time.”  
“Wow Norman, you’re such a romantic.”  
“shut the fuck up.” he laughed  
“Maybe you’ll like her.”  
“Maybe I will.” he agreed “I’m sure she’s nice. She works with animals, she almost has to be. But I’m not even entertaining the notion of anything more.”  
“Fine, than I’ll do that for you.”  
“Glad to see I have your support.”  
“Always.” 

::::

“Have you seen the view from this hotel room?” Amy asked Jaydn when she stepped out of the bathroom, having freshly showered “you can practically see the whole city from up here.”  
Jaydn crossed over, looking out the window “It is a pretty view.” she agreed, sitting down on the couch and picking up the bottle of lotion, beginning to rub some onto her legs  
“A package came for you while you were in the shower. I was tempted to open it, but I didn’t.” Amy informed her, gesturing to the coffee table where a long box lay  
“I’m surprised, you don’t mind invading my privacy any other time.” Jaydn replied sarcastically, immediately feeling bad for the snide comment when she saw the look of hurt that crossed Amy’s face “I’m sorry.” she sighed “My nerves are just really on edge right now.”  
“I’m sorry too. Again. And I know you want me to say that if I could take back entering you I would, but I wouldn’t. This is good for you Jaydn. You get to get out of town, you get to have an experience that most people never ever will, and you get to enjoy it with a super sexy movie star. You do realize, how many people would kill to be in your shoes right now?”  
“I wish someone would make an assassination attempt then.”  
“you’re telling me you’re not a little bit excited about this at all?”  
“I feel like throwing up.” she replied honestly  
“OK, well, that’s a little understandable. But I’ll be right there the whole time. Well not right there, I won’t be walking the red carpet with you, but I’ll be at the premier, and at the after party. You just have to get through the first part of it.”  
“You suck at pep talks, you know that?”  
“How about you open the package?” Amy suggested, “I’d really like to know what is in there.”  
“OK.” Jaydn nodded, standing up and crossing to the coffee table. She picked up the package and broke the seal with her fingernail, ripping off the paper and lifting the lid of the box, staring at the contents inside  
“Oh My God.” Amy was leaning over her shoulder “It’s beautiful.”  
It was. Jaydn lifted up the dress, which was a long red spaghetti strapped dress with a split up the side. It felt like it was made of satin. Underneath it was a pair of matching shoes and a note  
\- Please let me know if this doesn’t fit right and I’ll send over a replacement. I hope you have a wonderful time tomorrow. Norman is a lucky man! - It was signed by Sarah, his manager, and had a phone number underneath  
“How did she know my size?” Jaydn wondered out loud  
“oh, she emailed you about it.” Amy shrugged  
“when?”  
“OK, she emailed me about it, since I entered the contest. I wasn’t sure why. But this dress is breathtaking. Try it on. And as an added note, can I wear the one you were going to wear now?”  
“I have to admit this dress makes me feel better. “ Jaydn fingered it lovingly “At least I won’t feel like such an imposter now.”  
“I don’t understand why you’d even feel like that in the first place.”  
“Have you seen me?”  
“Have you seen you?” She retorted “Jaydn you have just as much right to walk that carpet as any other woman. I can’t imagine the number Leo must have done on your head, with your self esteem the way it is. But it’s been over a year, you need to let that shit go. You’re beautiful, successful, and a couple thousand miles away from home. Live it up, enjoy this.”  
“you’re right.” Jaydn smiled, standing up “I’m going to go try this on.”

::::

“You look absolutely beautiful.” Amy beamed at Jaydn the next afternoon, when she emerged from the bathroom wearing the red dress. She had to agree with Amy, she felt beautiful in the dress, the minute she’d slipped it on yesterday to make sure it fit, she felt like a different person. More confident, excited even, although still nauseous. But the dress hugged her body in all the right places and enhanced her curves. The red was a stark contrast with her pale skin, something she’d initially worried about, but in the end it worked. Amy had helped her with her make up, since all Jaydn ever wore was the essential mascara and lipstick, and they’d curled her hair so that it framed her face and fell down her back in a thick mass of wavy curls. She felt like a different person when she studied herself in the mirror.   
“Thank you.” Jaydn blushed, smiling at her friend. “I’d probably cry right now but I numbed my emotions with Xanax.”  
“Just watch how much you drink tonight” Amy laughed, hugging her, and then hooked her arm in Jaydns, turning to study both their reflections in the mirror. “We’re some sexy bitches” she announced, causing Jaydn to laugh.   
“you do look sexy. I think that dress looks better on you than it did me.” she informed Amy, studying her in the black dress she was originally going to wear “I’m jealous.”  
“I’m jealous.” Amy squeezed her hand “I’m so excited and happy for you. I know you are still mad at me for all this, but that’s OK. I still hope you have fun tonight.”  
“I’m not mad anymore.” Jaydn replied “and not just because I took a Xanax. I realize your intentions were good. And what you said last night, you’re right. It’s been a year since the Leo shit, it’s time I moved on. And we are in a strange state, far from home. It’s about time I lived it up.”  
“That’s my girl.” Amy grinned at her, then moved to pick up another package “this one is from me.”  
“Amy-”   
“It’s not a big deal, just open it.” Amy interrupted before Jaydn could begin a speech about how she shouldn’t have gotten her anything.  
She opened the package and pulled out a beautiful red clutch purse that matched her dress. She frowned, realizing it was already full, and opened it to see all the essentials in there, make up refreshers, comb, money, ID “condoms?” Jaydn asked, pulling out the package with a blush  
“Always be prepared.” Amy shrugged “there’s room for your phone in there too.”  
“Condoms?” Jaydn repeated  
“The possibility could present itself.” she shrugged again “and if it does, you have no excuse to wimp out now.”  
“you are crazy.”  
“I’m practical. And maybe not necessarily with Norman even. Maybe you’ll meet someone else. But again, you’re prepared if so.”  
Jaydn was still blushing as she shoved the condoms back in the purse “Well thank you. I love it.”  
“you’re welcome. Now while we’re on the topic, if I don’t come home tonight, don’t question it OK?”  
Jaydn laughed out loud “if I didn’t know you were head over heels in love already, I’d take you seriously right now.”  
“fuck, I forgot I’m engaged.” Amy frowned, then grinned at Jaydn “but you’re not.”

::::

 

When the knock sounded on the hotel room door an hour later, both women jumped, and Amy squeezed Jaydns hand tightly “you look beautiful.”  
“I feel sick.” she whispered back, but stood up, pasting a smile to her face as she opened the door, to be greeted by a man in a black suit  
“Miss Anderson?” he greeted  
“yes.”  
“I’m Jarred, your driver. I’ve come to accompany you to the car. Mr. Reedus was going to come up himself, but word seems to have leaked about the location of where you’re staying, so it’s sort of a mad house down there. I hope you don’t mind.”  
“No, of course not.” she turned to grab her purse, and shared another smile with Amy before joining Jarred in the hallway.  
“You look lovely, by the way.” he informed her as they walked along  
“Thank you.” she replied softly  
“Don’t be intimidated by all the people out here.” he instructed when he stopped at the door “they’re just people.” He held the door open for her and helped push her past the several dozen people who had gathered at the back of the hotel, and were trying to get closer to the limo.   
Norman, being the good hearted man that he was, hadn’t been able to ignore his fans, and was leaning out the window, signing autographs and taking a few selfies, while hotel security was trying to manage the crowd.   
“Norman, will you sign my shirt for me?” A girl was asking  
“of course sweetheart.” he took the marker from her and was scrawling his signature across her back when he heard someone say “there she is”, and he looked up to see Jarred ushering along Jaydn, who was wearing a red dress that looked sexy as fuck on her body. His eyes met hers for a brief moment before his attention was distracted by the girl whose shirt he was signing   
“Thank you.” she was saying excitedly  
“you’re welcome.” he smiled at her, and she reached over, hugging him excitedly, catching him off guard, but he quickly recovered, hugging her back through the window, and then waved at the crowd “have a good night” he told them, settling back and rolling up his window just as he heard Jaydn replying to something that was being said to her before Jarred opened the passenger door and ushered her in next to him  
“Hi.” he grinned, seeing that she was looking slightly overwhelmed. Her pale skin was flushed, and she looked slightly terrified  
“Hi.” she tried to smile back  
“I’m Norman. It’s great to finally meet you.” he held out his hand, and she took it with her own. Her skin was soft, her touch delicate.   
“It’s great to meet you too.” she replied, pulling her hand away almost too quickly   
“Sorry about not coming up myself.” he apologized as Jarred put the car in drive and they started moving past the crowd, some who banged on the windows and shouted his name  
“No, it’s OK, Totally understandable. That little bit right there was insane, so I can imagine what it must be like for you.”  
“Most people mean well, but it does make it difficult to live life normally sometimes.” he agreed, then shifted the focus off of himself “so you’re a veterinarian?”  
“Yes.” she replied  
“Great career choice. I have a soft spot for animals”  
“Me too, too soft at times, I’m afraid. But I love what I do.”  
“That’s the important thing.” he replied “do you have pets of your own?”  
“I have cat, that lives at the clinic, he’s sort of the office mascot. But no, I don’t feel like I’m home enough or have enough time to devote to caring for an animal. I’m at the clinic from sun up til sun down six days a week. It hardly seems fair.”  
He nodded “I feel the same way. When I leave I always feel guilty. So if I can’t talk my son or a friend into pet sitting, the cat comes with me.”  
“And it’s okay being your travel companion?” she asked curiously  
“oh he hates it. Meows at me, hisses, and pouts in his carrier the whole time. But I just give him treats and I’m usually forgiven a few hours later.”  
“That’s another reason I think I prefer working with animals to humans, they are less likely to hold a grudge and more quick to forgive” she smiled “especially when you have to stick a thermometer up their butt.” She blushed at her last statement, but he laughed out loud  
“I can’t say I’d be happy if someone did that to me.”  
“Agreed.” she laughed lightly, and he realized he liked the sound of it.   
“So if you have no pets, I’m guessing you have no children either.” he observed  
“No, no kids.” she confirmed “you have a son?”  
“A grown one.” he nodded “I don’t get to see him as much as I like these days, he’s off living his own life, which is good, but he has that same invincible mentality I had at his age and it worries me sometimes.”  
“But you turned out OK.” she pointed out  
He laughed “In the end, yeah, I turned out alright. He’s a good kid, smarter than I was too. Thank God.” he added as an after thought  
She laughed again “It’d be nice to be able to go back in time and tell our stupid, younger selves to grow up wouldn’t it?”  
“Definitely. But I’d of missed out on a hell of a lot of fun if so.”  
“me too. I was rebellious anyway, I probably wouldn’t have listened to myself .”  
“but you turned out fine, it seems. You’re a Vet, you have your own practice, you’re successful.”  
“you did your homework on me?” she asked curiously  
“A little bit.” he confirmed “you have no social media, it made it kind of difficult.”  
“I apologize.” she smiled “I hate facebook.”  
“What about Instagram? Twitter?”  
“You know, I guess I just feel that I don’t have anything that exciting to talk about on those pages. People post pictures of food and hundreds of people comment on it. I don’t understand it. It’s a cheeseburger.”  
He laughed “I get it. I’m kind of a social media whore though.”  
“My friend Amy follows you on everything. She’s showed me.”   
“This would be the same friend that entered you in this contest?”  
A deep blush come over her “yeah. I could of killed her the first week I found out about it.”  
“I heard you tried to pull out.”  
“I did.”  
“Why?”  
“Because.” she shrugged embarrassed, gesturing to the limo and dress with her hand “this is not me, this is not who I am. I’ve been sick about this for weeks. Your manager actually had to talk me down.”  
“I heard.”  
“that’s fucking embarrassing.”   
He grinned “she’s used to that kind of stuff. It’s why I keep her around. To be honest with you, this whole thing was not my favorite idea either.”  
“So why did you do it?” she asked curiously  
“A PR stunt to boost my new movie. My team knew that I wouldn’t say no if they threw in the fact that any proceeds would go to charity.”  
“That’s kind of why I agreed in the end too. I know there are a lot of charities out there that need money, but animal cruelty prevention kind of goes to the wayside compared to sick children. Not that I blame people of course, but being that animals are my passion, that’s where my heart lays. I want to help them as much as I can, I want people to open their eyes to the fact that these are living, breathing creatures with feelings too. I want people held responsible when they mistreat an animal.” she trailed off “Sorry, I tend to get a little passionate about this stuff.”  
“Don’t apologize. I want to know more about you. You said this...” he gestured to the limo and massive crowd that was gathered outside of the theater that had just come into view “wasn’t you, so it’s good to know who you are.”  
“I feel sick.” she sighed, looking out at the people and the cameras  
He smiled, reaching over to take her hand “you look beautiful. Just wave at people and smile for the cameras, that’s all you really have to do.”  
“That’s all?” she joked “How do you do it?”  
“I drink.” he grinned, but then shrugged “Actually that’s somewhat true. Want a drink before we head up?”  
“God yes.” she sighed gratefully, and he laughed as he pulled out the bottle of alcohol.


	3. Chapter 3

Her nerves felt frayed. She’d met so many people, shook so many hands, and had her picture taken so many times her face felt numb from smiling. The couple shots she had done with Norman in the limo had kept her from jumping out of her skin while they walked the red carpet, but it didn’t numb the sensations she felt every time he put a hand on her back while they took a picture, or took her hand to lead her through the mob of people who were yelling for his attention. By the time they actually started to settle down to watch the movie, her attention span felt like that of a child.  
“Here.” Norman leaned into her, and pressed a tiny bottle into her hand “you look like you could use this.”  
She glanced at the small bottle of alcohol and laughed “Am I that transparent?”  
“No, not really. You look calm and collected, but if you recall I’ve been touching you all night-"  
“I recall.” she mumbled, earning a hearty laugh from him   
“I just meant I’m starting to be able to read your body language." he finished  
“That’s a scary thought." she sighed, unscrewing the cap, stopping before drinking it “do you want some of this?”  
“No, drink up.” he instructed, and she followed his instructions, downing the little bottle  
“I swear I’m not an alcoholic.” she joked   
“hang around me long enough you might turn into one.”  
It was her turn to laugh “you really know how to sell yourself.”  
He opened his mouth to speak, a smile of his face, when the sound of someone shouting her name caused them both to turn and look.  
“Amy!” she greeted her with a grin, standing up to hug her friend, who was being escorted along by a man in a black tux  
“You looked great out there.” Amy squeezed her tightly ”I‘ll catch up with you soon, Paul was just escorting me to my seat.” she added, gesturing to the man in the tux  
“she can sit with us.” Norman spoke up   
“Seriously?” Jaydn asked, feeling grateful  
“Absolutely. It’s all good.” he assured Paul, who nodded and gestured for Amy to take the seat next to Jaydn, before moving on his way  
“Hi, I’m Amy.” She greeted Norman, reaching over to shake his hand  
“Nice to meet you Amy, I’ve heard some interesting stories about you”  
“I shudder to think.” she smiled “Jaydn has not been happy with me.”  
“I think she’s happy now though.” he replied, studying her playfully “am I right?”  
“Yes, I’m happier now.” she blushed “although the alcohol has helped tremendously”  
“I know how to handle a woman. She’s been in good hands.” he assured Amy, stroking Jaydns arm lightly, almost seductively, and she noticed that the other woman didn’t appear the slightest bit unhinged by the touch, almost welcomed it, a far cry from where she was at a few hours ago.  
Amy grinned, realizing that the both of them were feeling pretty good, and wondered how much alcohol they’d already drank “there’s not a doubt in my mind that she is.” she replied, feeling a person sit down on the other side of her. She turned, her mouth falling open when she saw who it was  
“Hi, I’m Jeff.” he smiled at her, then nodded at Jaydn and Norman  
“OK, maybe I need a drink now.” Amy sighed, settling back in her seat uncomfortably, while the others laughed at her expense.

:::

 

Turns out the cuter the shoes, the more they made your feet hurt, and Jaydns feet were killing her. To be perfectly honest, she was ready to go back to the hotel. It was well after midnight, far later than she had actually planned to be out tonight. She’d figured they’d make some kind of appearance and then be out of there, but Norman had surprised her, bringing her drinks and integrating her into more and more conversations with people he knew. She probably wouldn’t remember any of their names in another hour, but it was nice to be part of the group for now. She finally found a chance to excuse herself for a moment and stepped out back, sitting down on the edge of the large outdoor fountain, welcoming the cool breeze from the wind and water, and kicked off her shoes with a satisfied sigh. There was no one else out here, and she closed her eyes, taking in the peaceful silence, feeling her body grow more relaxed.  
“There’s something to be said about the sound of silence isn’t there?”   
She smiled and opened her eyes to see Norman standing a few feet away, watching her   
“Didn’t mean to interrupt, saw you head out this way, wanted to make sure you were OK.”  
“I’m great. Just taking a breather, taking it all in.” She smiled at him shyly “come join me?”  
“My smoke won’t bother you?” he asked, holding up his cigarette  
“No.”  
He nodded, walking over to join her on the edge of the fountain, smiling at her bare feet “shoes hurting your feet?”  
“Killing them.” she admitted “Just the thought of putting them back on right now makes me want to cry. And it’s too bad though, because they are so pretty.”  
“I agree, those shoes looked good tonight, but I think that was more of a you thing and not so much the shoes.”  
“are you trying to flirt with me?” she asked  
“badly. My mind is numb from the alcohol I think.”  
“I’m kind of enjoying the numbness. Too bad it’s not affecting my feet” she joked  
“we can go, whenever you want.” he shrugged “I honestly hadn’t planned on sticking around as long as we did. Not that I’m complaining about spending time with you.”   
“It was a fun night. Much more so than I expected it to be, considering what a mess I was at the start of it.”  
“You were cute. It was flattering that you were so nervous around me.”  
“Surely you should be used to women being nervous around you.”  
“Maybe. But I usually get either hysterical tears, stone cold silence, or shrieking in my face. So you were a refreshing change.”  
“I’ll take the compliment.” she smiled  
“You should. Since you’re so bad with the rest of them.”  
“the rest of what?”  
“the compliments. Anytime anyone complimented you on looking beautiful tonight you got all tense, as if you wanted to return fire with all the reasons why you couldn’t possibly be.”  
“Compliments make me uncomfortable.”  
“That’s too bad.” he sighed, dropping his cigarette and putting it out with his shoe “you ready to get out of here?”  
“Yes.” she replied quickly and honestly, earning a smile from him, and he held out a hand to help her up. Without her heels, he was a good head taller than her now, and she found herself focusing more on his mouth. The shape of his jaw, the soft look of his lips, it would be so easy from where she stood to reach up and plant a kiss on his lips. She forced herself to look away, and bent down to retrieve her shoes, wincing slightly as she slid her feet back into them  
“come on, let’s get you back to the hotel and out of those shoes.” The words he spoke were completely innocent, but somehow sounded so sexual in that context. She blushed, not meeting his eyes as she took his hand and let him lead her back into the party, where they made quick work of saying goodbye to several dozen people. She spotted Amy, talking to Paul and a few other people she recognized vaguely, and excused herself from Norman to go say goodbye  
“we’re going to head out.” she announced  
”Oh, okay.” Amy smiled at her, and reached to give her a tight hug ”I probably won‘t be back to the room for awhile, but if you need me to stay gone longer, just shoot me a text.” she whispered in Jaydns ear  
”I‘m going back to the room...alone.”   
“sure” Amy rolled her eyes, grinning at her as Norman came up behind her, placing a hand on her waist “have a goodnight Norman. It was so great meeting you.”  
“It was good meeting you too Amy.” he replied, giving her a small hug “take care of yourself.”  
“Take care of Jaydn for me.” she instructed him  
“I will.” he smiled, and Jaydn caught the grin Amy flashed at her when he turned his attention away. She shook her head  
“goodnight.” she said again, hugging Amy one last time before turning to Norman “ready?”  
“yep.” he held his hand out, and she instinctively place her own in it, letting him lead her back through the room, weaving their way through the guest that were still there, stopping while quick goodbyes were made, relief filling her body when they finally made it back to the limo  
“Hi Jarred.” she greeted him. He was leaning against the hood, talking to a few people, and smiled genuinely at her “Miss Anderson.” he greeted back “are you two ready to go?”  
“Yes.”   
He nodded, holding the door open for her to slide in, shutting it after Norman slid in behind her  
“I think Jarred has a thing for you. I barely get a hello out of him” He teased  
“He’s not bad looking.” she shrugged, studying the driver through the window as he said goodbye to the people he was talking to and moved to get in the limo himself  
“hello, sitting right here.” Norman sighed  
She laughed lightly “you already know you’re good looking.”  
“It’s still nice to hear it.”  
“fine. you’re a good looking man Norman.”  
“Thank you. See, it’s not hard to take a compliment, you try it now.” he smiled at her “you’re a very attractive woman Jaydn.”  
“Thank you.” she whispered softly, trying not to appear uncomfortable  
He was still smiling “we’re going to have to work on that some more.”  
“Perhaps.” she agreed  
“Where to Norman?” Jarred asked through the little speaker “are you making any stops or back to the hotel?”  
“are you tired?” Norman asked her  
“Not tired, just my feet.”  
“come back to the hotel with me. have a drink or two?”  
“I’d really like to get out of this dress.” she protested lamely  
“That’s kind of my goal.” he teased  
She laughed “So there’s an ulterior motive?”  
“Can’t blame a guy for trying, right?” he shrugged, tracing the back of her hand with his fingers “to be honest, I’m not really ready to say goodnight to you yet.”  
“I suppose a drink or two wouldn’t hurt.” she agreed, licking her lips nervously  
Norman smiled, pressing the button to talk to Jarred “Just take us back to my hotel Jarred”  
“Sure thing.”  
“He’s going to think I’m a slut.”  
“do you care what he thinks?”  
“No, not really.” she shrugged honestly  
“good”

::::

“wow, you’re suite is beautiful, and huge.” Jaydn observed when she walked into the room, thinking to herself that it was almost probably the size of her apartment back in Miami.   
“I’d thank you but I had nothing to do with it.” he informed her with a shrug “Take those damn shoes off and make yourself comfortable, I’ll get us a drink. What would you like?” he asked as he moved to the adjourning kitchen, opening the refrigerator   
“What’s in there?” she asked curiously, not hesitating to do as he instructed, and pulled her shoes off, sighing as her feet sunk into the plush carpet  
“The better question is what’s not in here. I’ve got beer, wine, tequila, rum” he peered into the fridge, “and various other little bottles of some shit in here.”  
“I’ll just have a beer.” she decided, taking a seat on the sofa  
He nodded and pulled out two, twisting off the caps and tossing them in the sink as he made his way out to her, handing one to her before taking a seat next to her, jostling her closer to him  
“A toast, to a night that exceeded all my expectations. And to new friends and new adventures.” he spoke up  
She smiled, tapping his bottle lightly with her own before taking a drink “I’m also extremely grateful that tonight didn’t end up sucking the way we both obviously thought it would.”  
He smiled “I guess that’ll teach us both not to be so cynical about things. I had fun tonight, I really did.”  
“Me too.” she replied, feeling suddenly shy again “I can’t believe it’s almost over. Tomorrow night I’ll be on a plane back to Miami, and everything I was worried about will be over, and it’s almost a disappointing feeling after all these weeks of stressing about it.”  
“well, I’d hate to have you leave here feeling disappointed in any way.” he flirted  
“yeah...that was just a horrible lead in” she laughed  
He laughed himself, reaching over to play with a strand of her hair “OK, no more cheesy lines. I was just trying to play this whole going in for a kiss thing smoothly"  
She put her beer down on the coffee table, and turned to face him on the couch “tonight worked best when we’ve just been real with each other right?”  
“Yeah”  
“So lets keep it that way. We both know what this is. I don’t need lines or empty promises to be with you.”  
“good, because I’m not good with any of that kind of stuff.” he mumbled, setting his own beer down and reaching over, tangling his fingers through her hair, pulling her face closer to his and planting an experimental kiss on her lips. She scooted closer, deepening the kiss, running her fingers up his shirt and inside it’s collar. She met his tongue with her own, sensing the urgency, responding back with equal want. He pulled away finally, his voice sounding hoarse when he spoke  
“were you still wanting to get out of that dress?”  
“Desperately” she whispered  
“Let’s go.” he stood up, pulling her up with him and leading her to the bedroom, where fresh sheets made up a king sized bed. She stopped before it, feeling her heart hammering in her chest.   
Don’t over think this, she told herself, closing her eyes when he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck “unzip me?” she asked, lifting her hair to give him access to the zipper in the back of her dress. She shivered, feeling the goose bumps form on her skin that had nothing to do with being cold and everything to do with feeling turned on , as he slid it down slowly, his mouth kissing her exposed skin as it went, finally stopping at her waist. The straps were falling down her shoulders now, and she turned in his arms, meeting his lips again in another hungry kiss as he slid the straps down, exposing her body from the waist up. The dress had been designed with a built in bra, so that was one less item of clothing he’d had to worry about getting off of her, and his hands went to caress her breast, feeling her nipples harden under his touch, and he couldn’t help but smile at her body’s response to him.  
“pleased with yourself?” she asked, reading his thoughts  
“slightly” he agreed, before covering her nipple with his mouth, sucking and nipping at it gently. She moaned lightly and arched into him, pulling at his shirt “get this off.” she demanded impatiently, trying to work at the buttons, but her fingers were unsteady and she was having difficulty  
He covered her hand with his own, before working the buttons loose, and finally he too was naked from the waist up. She splayed her hand over his chest, letting her fingers, then her lips, wander over the tattoos there, before they moved down to the waistband of his pants, but he caught her hands in his, backing her to the bed and nudging her down, before moving to pull her dress the rest of the way off her hips, casting the expensive material into a corner  
“God your beautiful.” he breathed, studying her “so fucking flawless.”  
“I’m far from flawless.” she protested, moving to cover herself with her hands self consciously, but he grabbed them pinning them above her head with one hand as his other trailed down her smooth skin  
“didn’I tell you we were going to work on accepting compliments?” he asked  
“yes.” she replied, swallowing hard, studying him hoovering above her  
“you keep your hands up here” he instructed, pressing them into the bed above her head “I don’t want them getting in my way, understand?”  
She nodded, closing her eyes when she felt his hands begin a slow, torturous descent over her body, starting with her arms, and over her breast, her stomach, her hips and thighs, all the while his mouth following where his hands left off. She felt her breath quicken when his fingers hooked onto the straps of her underwear and she moved to sit up but he pushed her back down “stay, or I stop.” he informed her “I just want to make sure you enjoy this as much as I’m about too.” she felt his breath on her most intimate area, and a second later his fingers, than his tongue. She arched into him instinctively, wanting to reach down and touch his body, but was afraid he’d followed through with his threat to stop, so her hands twisted in the covers as she moaned out loud without shame, loving the feel of what his hands and mouth were doing to her, hearing the catch in her throat as she felt the pleasure building within her body, and finally was unable to help but move her hands down, pulling at his slightly longish hair as he brought her to the most unbelievable fucking orgasm she’d had in awhile. She heard him stand up, heard the zipper of his own pants, before he was rejoining her on the bed. She smiled at him, hooking a hand around the back of his neck, pulling his face to hers, kissing him passionately, desperately, craving more of his touch. She could feel his desire against her bare leg, and she reached between them, taking him in her hand and stroking him, watching the expression change on his face to one of pure need.   
“I’ve had a lot to drink. I’m afraid it’s probably not going to take me long to...I’d rather be inside you.” he stated finally  
She nodded, thinking of the condoms in her purse, but that was all the way out in the other room   
“I’ve got it covered.” he spoke up, as he could read her thoughts, and he pulled away for a second before rejoining her. She opened her legs to him, and he settled between them, kissing her again as he entered her. She gasped out loud at the feel of him, and slid her hands down his arms as he began to thrust, gripping his biceps and moaning loudly, thinking for a second that she should be ashamed that she was being so free with her body, but then he reached down and kissed her again she kissed him back, wrapping her legs around his waist and meeting him thrust for thrust until his own moans were mixed in with hers and her body was racked with another orgasm just as he began to reach his own. His fingers interlocked with hers against the bed and he moved hard, forcedly, inside her until finally he let out a satisfied groan and collapsed sweatily beside her with a half laugh, uttering a single swear word as he pulled her into his body. She could feel the beating of his heart, which she was sure matched her own, as the both tried to regain their bearings and come down from the high they were on.   
“fuck.” he sighed in contentment, caressing her arm gently  
“yeah. she agreed, a smile forming on her face as she curled up in his arms, not ready to relinquish the feel of him next to her so soon. 

:::

 

Something about the light of morning made doing the walk of shame through the hotel, wearing what was obviously the same dress from the night before, that much more embarrassing. She hadn’t planned on staying the night, but they’d both fallen in a deep sleep and stayed that way until the sun shining brightly through the open blinds woke them. He’d found her in the bathroom, washing up and gargling some of his mouth wash, and had led her back into the bedroom for another round of sex. This time it was slower, less hurried, but the resulting orgasm wasn’t any less intense. Finally when it was closing in on late morning she informed him she better get back to her hotel, she had a plane to catch early that evening and needed to go shower and pack.   
“Maybe I can come see you next time I’m in the Miami area?” he’d suggested as he helped her into his car. Thankfully the parking lot was empty of lingering fans, and they didn‘t have to contend with any unwanted interruptions  
“Are you in the Miami area often?” she’d asked as he‘d put the vehicle in drive and started back to her hotel  
“No, but I’m in the Georgia area, it’s not that far away.”  
“I told you last night that I knew was I was getting into. We had sex-”  
“Awesome sex.” he interrupted, smiling at her when they‘d stopped at a stop light  
“Awesome sex.” she agreed with a smile “but I don’t expect any sort of promises from you because of it. It is what it is.”  
“Is that your polite way of saying you wouldn’t want to see me again?” he asked with a frown  
“No.” she’d replied “that’s my way of telling you not to feel like you’re obligated to me in anyway.”  
“I never thought that. I genuinely thought it would be nice to see you again.”  
“Well in that case, I’d love it if you looked me up if you’re ever in the area.” she’d smiled, leaning back in his seat contently  
“sorry about this, by the way.” he reached over, rubbing an area near her collar bone, where a large Hickey stuck out on her pale skin  
“So you’re sorry about that one, but not the others you left all over my body?” she asked playfully  
“I can’t help you have have pale skin. you probably bruise like a peach too.” he observed  
“I do.”   
“I can imagine. And to answer your question, no, I’m not sorry about the rest of them. Are you?” he’d grinned at her devilishly as he’d pulled up into her hotel parking lot  
“no.” she’d blushed  
“you’re getting shy on me now? “ he teased  
“maybe just a little bit.”  
He laughed, spotting a few people in the parking lot. “fuck. here.” he reached into the back of his car and pulled out hoodie jacket “put this on.”  
“that makes for an interesting fashion statement.” she said sarcastically, sliding it on anyway to cover up the top of her dress and pulled the hood up over her head “I feel like the uni-bomber”  
“you’re much cuter.” he grinned  
“Thanks.” she laughed, staring out the window with a sigh “I guess this is goodbye.”  
“Goodbye for now.” he clarified “I’ll call you, text you, send you weird memes, we’ll stay in touch.”  
“you’d better.” she flashed him a small smile, feeling the lump in her throat and hoping like hell she didn’t cry in front of him “Thank you for an amazing weekend.” she added, reaching for the door handle  
“Hey.” he stopped her, grasping her arm as she moved to get out “you really think you’re getting away that easily?”  
This time she smiled fully, meeting his lips in a passionate kiss that ended too soon. She untwisted her fingers from his shirt “Goodbye Norman.”  
“Goodbye Jaydn.” he replied, swallowing hard himself  
“oh, wait.” she stopped as she climbed out “what about your jacket? Should I leave it at the desk or-”  
“I’ll be seeing you again. Don’t worry about it.” he assured her  
She nodded, waving to him as she shut the door and hurried in through the back of the hotel, glad no one had recognized her with the hoodie. She almost turned around when she reached the doors, but didn’t. It was hard enough saying goodbye, seeing his face again only made it that much harder.


	4. Chapter 4

Norman pulled up in front of the veterinarian clinic, glad that there were no other cars in the parking lot. he’d purposely waited until the end of the day, wanting to surprise Jaydn and not cause a lot of interruptions at her work place. He couldn’t believe that three months had passed since he left her in that hotel parking lot. He’d finished shooting the final scenes from his show this past week, and now that he had some free time, decided that instead of flying back home to New York, he would surprise her by showing up in Miami instead. He only hoped she would be happy to see him. They’d continued to correspond with each other through texts and phone calls, but the last few times he’d talked to her he felt like she’d sounded melancholy. She’d used the excuse that she’d just been really slammed at work and felt tired, but he hoped she wasn’t trying to find an excuse to push him away. Maybe she’d found someone else, she had every right too, they had no strings to tie them together, had made no promises of commitment to each other. But damn if he didn’t miss her more than he thought he would, so when filming wrapped he’d made the last minute decision to take a road trip. Now that he was here though, he suddenly felt nervous. Maybe it was a huge mistake to drop by unannounced. Stop being a fucking baby and just go inside, the voice in his head that had been driving him this whole time taunted him now. He glanced in his his rear view mirror, finger coming his hair and adjusting his hat before climbing out of the truck, smiling at the animal shaped stepping stones that led into the entrance of the building. A bell rang as he opened the door, but the lobby was empty. The reception desk was also bare so he took a moment to look around, studying the different snap shots of animals. There was a wall announcing recently adopted animals surrounded with paper hearts, and another with more snapshots of animals and some of the staff. He smiled spotting Jaydn in several, her arms wrapped around a massive dog or holding a cute little kitten.   
A gasp behind him caused him to turn, and he grinned when he saw Amy appear at the little reception counter  
“Hey, Amy.” he greeted her, walking the few feet to close the distance between them  
“Norman!” she exclaimed in surprise, clearly caught off guard. She glanced behind her and rounded the counter, “what are you doing here?” she asked, giving him a hug “Jaydn never mentioned anything about you being in town.”  
“I didn’t tell her. I just got here a few hours ago and thought I’d surprise her. Is she here?” he asked, looking past her   
“Yeah, she’s in the back finishing up a few things. If you wait here a minute, I’ll go get her.” she had a unreadable expression on her face, but she covered it hurriedly with a smile as she backed up “I’ll just be a minute, OK?”  
“OK” he nodded, taking a seat and picking up a photo album. It was labeled Halloween hounds, and had pictures that he assumed were just a week or so old of different dogs that were dressed up in Halloween customs. He grinned at some of creative ones owners had come up with.  
“Norman?” The sound of Jaydns voice interrupted his concentration and he practically dropped the photo album, shutting it hurriedly and standing up, grinning at her. She was in the doorway, dressed in a white lab coat and pair of jeans. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and she was staring at him with surprise, and almost trepidation in her eyes  
“Hey Jaydn” he grinned at her, crossing over to close the distance between them, hugging her tightly  
She hugged him back but he could feel the stiffness in her body   
“hey.” she tried to laugh “what in the world are you doing here?”  
“I’m on break from filming, and had nothing I needed to hurry home to, I thought I’d come see you.”  
“you made a trip all the way here just for me?” she asked, pulling away long enough to study his face  
“Yeah, and also Miami is much nicer in November than New York.” he joked “I’m not interrupting am I?”  
“No” she shook her head, “we were actually getting ready to close up. I’m just really touched.” she smiled at him  
“Well do you already have dinner plans? I know it’s short notice, but I’d love to take you out. “ he glanced up as Amy reappeared at the receptionist desk “how about both of you?”  
“oh, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your guys...reunion.” Amy protested, studying Jaydn  
“Actually, that’s a sweet offer, why don’t you join us Amy?” Jaydn smiled at Amy and then back at Norman “you really don’t mind do you?”  
“No, I wouldn’t of asked if I did.” he shrugged, looking at Amy “I’d love for you to join us.”  
“OK, if you two insist.” she shrugged  
“Just one thing, can you give us like an hour? I need to go home and shower, I smell like dog and God knows what else.” Jaydn asked him  
“Of course, no problem. You want to just call me when you’re ready?”  
“yes, thanks Norman.” this time she gave him a genuine smile and hugged him again “I’ll call you soon.”  
“alright. Can’t wait.” he back towards the door, giving them a final wave before he disappeared  
“Holy fucking shit!” Amy exclaimed the minute he was gone, turning on Jaydn “what the fuck?!”  
“I know.” Jaydn pulled her hair out of the messy bun and ran her fingers through it, feeling a headache coming on “I feel nauseous.”  
“Well in your defense, you feel like that all the time now.” Amy shrugged  
“Not helping.”   
“sorry. are you going to tell him?”  
“I don’t fucking know.” she sighed “I mean, how the hell do you even have a conversation like that with someone?”  
“Just say hey Norman, remember when we fucked a few months ago? Apparently the condom we forgot to use the second time was pretty important.”  
“again, not helping.” Jaydn sighed “Maybe I just won’t say anything to him. I mean, whats to say he’ll even believe me that it’s his? Maybe he’ll think I’m just another psycho trying to trap him.”  
“I mean, it’s your call. But he has a right to know.” she shrugged “And if that’s his reaction, well, there’s ways to prove paternity.”  
“God this is a fucking nightmare.”  
“Kind of cool that he showed up to see you after all these months though.” Amy grinned “It means he’s been thinking of you.”  
“It is flattering. “ she admitted   
“Maybe I shouldn’t go. I think you two need to be alone, have time to reconnect.” Amy spoke up  
“you’re going. I’m not confessing anything tonight, and you’re there to serve as a buffer incase anything awkward should happen.”  
“Maybe I should have been serving as a buffer three months ago.”  
“And again. Still not helping.”

:::

She showered and changed into a new pair of jeans, and a flattering lacey tunic. Luckily she wasn’t showing enough yet that she needed to try to hide her secret, and finished blow drying her hair just as Amy stuck her head in the bathroom   
“Hey, I know you wanted me to go, but Kevin just called and he got off work early, it’s Saturday night Jaydn, I want to spend time with my man, please understand.”  
“Of course.” Jaydn nodded, feeling her anxiety rise a notch knowing that she and Norman would now be alone. “You have fun.”  
“You too.” Amy smiled at her, giving her a quick hug “you look good by the way, call me tomorrow and let me know how things went.”  
“I will.” Jaydn promised, picking up her brush and giving her long hair a final sweep, deciding that she was going to just leave it down and straight tonight.  
“And put some lipstick on, lipstick fixes everything!” Amy called over her shoulder as she excited Jaydns apartment.  
“It’s going to take more than lipstick to fix this mess.” she mumbled out loud to herself, picking up her cell phone and dialing Normans number  
“Hey.” he greeted her, picking up right before it went to voice mail  
“Hey. So Amy ditched us for her fiance, extremely rude I know, but if you still wanted to get together...”  
“of course I want to get together, I came to see you.” he interrupted  
“OK. I’m pretty much ready. I’ll text you my address.”   
“Sounds good. See you in a few.” he replied, saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.  
She sent the text and tossed her phone onto the couch with a sigh, feeling nauseous for reasons now that had nothing to do with being pregnant. Well, technically it was because of that reason, but that reason wasn’t causing her to feel nauseous right now, it was the thought of Norman. She was ecstatic to see him, she was also worried sick about it. She tried to push her worries out of her mind and turned to the mirror to finish applying her makeup, giving her lips a fresh coat of lipstick. Amy was wrong, lipstick did not fix everything. She could see the stress in her own reflection, and she wondered if Norman would be able to pick up on it as well.   
Walking through her apartment she tidied up quickly, fluffing the couch pillows and trying to distract herself as best as possible, jumping involuntarily when her doorbell rang. She looked out her peep whole to see Norman standing there. He’d changed too, into a dark shirt and a nicer pair of jeans. She took a deep breath and pasted a smile to her face as she opened the door  
“Hey.” she greeted him, hoping she sounded sincere “come in.”  
“Hey” he stepped inside, giving her a hug and a small kiss on the cheek “you look pretty.”  
“thanks.” she blushed, “have a seat. I just need to put my shoes on and grab my purse. can I get you anything?”  
“No I’m good.” he assured her, sitting down on her sofa   
She nodded, walking to her bedroom to grab her purse and giving herself one final glance in the mirror, if only to reassure herself that nothing looked off about her. She grabbed her shoes as she rejoined him in the living room, sitting down next to him “did you have trouble finding the place?”  
“Nope, but thank God for GPS right?” he smiled   
“Yes, I’m very directionally challenged so hard telling where the hell I’d end up if I had to rely on my own sense of direction, or try to read a map for that matter.”  
“speaking of ending up, did you decide where we’re going to dinner?” he asked  
“I hadn’t even thought about it. What sounds good?” she asked  
“You’re the native around here, you tell me.”  
“What are you in the mood for?”  
“that’s an open ended question.” he teased with a grin  
She laughed despite herself “OK what sounds good to eat? Forget it.” she said quickly before he could even answer, causing him to laugh “there’s a couple steak houses nearby, there’s Italian, Mexican, CA-Jan.”   
“some place not crazily crowded on a Saturday night?” he asked  
“Hmm, well if we avoid downtown, there’s several small diners off the beaten path.”she suggested “Maria’s serves a variety of food, from salad to steak and lobster, and they are usually pretty mellow.”  
“sounds ideal to me.” he agreed “I’m hungry as hell. You ready?” he asked, standing up  
“Yes.” she replied, as I’ll ever be, she added silently to herself, taking his hand and letting him pull her up off the couch. But instead of letting go he pulled her into his arms  
“I’ve missed you.” he said quietly   
“I’ve missed you too.” she replied, swallowing nervously  
“Can I ask you something?”  
“of course.”  
“are you seeing someone?”  
“No, why?”  
“I just wanted to make sure before I did this.” he replied, reaching over and threading his fingers into her hair, pulling her face to his for a kiss. All the dormant feelings she’d been trying to suppress for the last few months came rushing back at his touch, and she let out a little moan, kissing him back. She felt slightly breathless when they finally broke the kiss, and she rested her head on his chest  
“we should go, before we never make it to dinner.” he suggested, his voice sounded gruff.  
She nodded, pulling away “I know you said you were hungry.”  
“Suddenly not so much for food.” he joked  
She laughed genuinely, “behave yourself.”   
“I’m trying.” he replied honestly, taking her hand, “let’s get out of here.”

:::

 

After dinner was over they ended up at Bay front park, holding hands as they walked along the beach. There was a cool breeze coming off of the water and she shivered slightly, but she wasn’t entirely convinced it had anything to do with the weather.   
“Cold?” he asked  
“Not really” she shrugged “I think it’s just nerves.”  
He turned her into him rubbing her arms “You’re still nervous around me?”  
“I think I’ll always get goose bumps when it comes to you.” she smiled “that’s a compliment, by the way.”  
“Well then I accept it.” he smiled at her “you were quite at dinner, I think I talked the entire time. Are you sure everything is OK?”  
“Yeah” she nodded “It’s just been a long week. A long day really. I had to put down a dog this morning and that kind of bummed me out. Maybe I’m feeling overly emotional, but I wanted to cry right along with the owner.” Fucking hormones, she added silently to herself  
“I’m sorry to hear that, why didn’t you tell me?”  
“Because it’s depressing.” she shrugged   
“Yeah, but it’s part of your day. I tell you about all the crap shit that I deal with. You can talk to me.”  
“Some things I just want to forget about.”  
“OK.” he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him “do you want to go somewhere for a drink?”  
“or, we can just go back to my place.” she suggested  
“I’m down with that.” he kissed her lightly and led her back to his truck, where she shook the sand out of shoes before climbing in, catching his smile when she looked up from buckling her seat belt  
“what?” she asked, pushing her hair out of her eyes  
“I’m just thinking about your red shoes.”  
“oh, the shoes from hell.” she sighed  
He laughed “what did you ever do with them?”  
“they’re in my closet. They’re too pretty to throw out, but my feet try to run away from my body when I think about putting them on.”  
He laughed “and now these ones have sand in them. I don’t think you have good luck with shoes.”  
“If I could just be barefoot all the time I probably would.” she agreed  
“you’re in the wrong era. You need to be back in the caveman times, before women’s lib, where you’d just be hanging out barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.” he joked  
She felt her stomach heave slightly, and she rolled down the window, sucking in a gulp of fresh air   
“God that sounded really sexist and offensive. I’m sorry.” he added quickly “you’re a successful woman, with a great career, and you definitely don’t belong in a kitchen, unless that’s where you want to be.”  
“I wasn’t offended.” she forced a smile “did anyone ever tell you you’re cute when you ramble?”  
“then I should be cute all the time.”  
“perhaps that’s why you are.”  
He laughed as they pulled into her apartment complex and he shut off the truck  
“you coming up?” she asked, un buckling  
“I wasn’t going to invite myself.”  
“I just invited you.” she laughed  
“well hang on.” he slid out of his own seat and rounded to her side “Speaking of womens lib, there’s some things I can’t relinquish as a man, and one of them is opening a door for you.” he informed her, helping her out  
“I’ll let you in on a secret. Not all of us women get into all the women’s lib stuff. I appreciate the gesture.” she smiled, handing him her keys “I’ll even let you open my apartment door, I need to finish shaking the sand out of these shoes.” she announced, pulling them back off, earning another laugh from him.

She should have just fucking told him. Now she lay wide awake in the dark, the feel of Normans warm body next to hers making her feel even more guilty. But the timing hadn’t been right. She could of said something when he made the joke about being barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, but it was bad timing, and then after they got back to the apartment, well, she wasn’t ready for confessions and whatever argument that would surely ensure afterwards. When he’d started touching her, she just wanted it feel him, forget about all the other stuff, even if just for a few hours. She’d tell him in the morning, she promised herself. Maybe. Definitely before he left. She had a few days to work her way up to it. God she was such a fucking coward.


	5. Chapter 5

Norman woke the next morning alone, and climbed out of Jaydns bed, stumbling his way to the bathroom. The door was locked so he knocked  
“I’ll be out in a minute!” he heard her call. Her voice sounded weak. He heard a familiar gagging sound coming from behind the door and frowned. Was she sick? He’d drank last night, but as far as he could recall, she’d stuck with just water  
“You OK?” he asked when the door opened a few minutes later. She was wrapped in a towel, having freshly showered, but her normally pale skin looked even more pale, and she reached to put her toothbrush back in the holder  
“I’m fine.” she assured him “sorry, it’s all yours.” she moved past him and he caught her arm, studying her “hey, are you sick?”  
“I’m feeling better.”  
“you think it was something you ate?” he asked curiously, watching as she opened her closet and slipped a shirt on, dropping the towel   
”Who knows.” she shrugged, moving to the dresser and pulling out a pair of jeans, slipping them on ”you hungry? I can make breakfast while you dress.” Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, she was almost tempted to add  
”sure.” he nodded, letting the subject drop and disappearing into the bathroom to take a quick shower himself. All she had was body wash, but he decided smelling like fresh water daisies, whatever the fuck that was, was better than smelling like he probably smelled right now. He joined her fifteen minutes later, having thrown on the same clothes he had on the night before, but at least he felt refreshed. He noticed she looked better too, and was moving around the kitchen, making breakfast. A fresh fruit platter sat in the middle of the table and he grabbed a grape, plopping it in his mouth as she handed him a cup of coffee  
”I‘m not sure what you put in your coffee, but Amy has a cartoon of creamer in the fridge and there‘s sugar and what not.” she informed him, taking a drink of her own coffee before turning her attention back to her task of making breakfast  
”Thanks.” he nodded gratefully, fixing his coffee ”you feeling better?”  
”much.” she assured him, smiling over her shoulder  
”OK. just making sure. I‘d hate to think that it was waking up next to me that made you feel sick.” he teased  
She pushed the pan away from the flame and turned the stove off, her voice catching ”no, not you.” sure assured him  
He was up, out of his chair, at her side, forcing her to turn and look at him, seeing the unshed tears in her eyes  
”what‘s going on Jaydn?” he demanded  
” I wanted to tell you before, I swear I did.” she swallowed hard ”I should have told you yesterday. I was just so happy and surprised to see you and I didn‘t want to spoil the moment.”  
”Slow down, and back up. Tell me what?” he asked, holding her by the shoulders  
She reached up, wiping a tear that fell down her cheek, almost angrily  
”I‘m fucking pregnant Norman.” she stated   
His body grew tense, his heart began to beat faster, his head hurt suddenly “what?”   
“That’s what was going on in the bathroom. Morning sickness. Which apparently, can last well past the first trimester of a pregnancy.” she replied miserably  
He released her, backing away slowly “hold up, you’re really fucking pregnant?”  
“Trust me it’s not something I’d joke about.”  
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t.” he ran his hands through his hair in disbelief  
“how far along?”  
“Right about three months.”  
“And it’s mine?”  
“Don’t be an ass. You know I haven’t been seeing anyone else.”  
“how the fuck-” he trailed off, the realization of that second morning back in California dawning on him “Jesus fuck Jaydn, you’re just now telling me this? How long have you known?”  
“Not long.” she shrugged  
“how long?” he asked, narrowing his eyes  
“”About a month.” she admitted, biting her lip nervously  
“son of a bitch!” he slammed his fist down on the table causing the silverware to rattle “and you didn’t think I should know about it?”  
“I wasn’t sure how to tell you, or if you’d believe me. I didn’t want you to think I was trying to trap you into some type of relationship. Realistically, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”  
“So wait.” he had his hands on his hips, “you didn’t think you’d see me again, so what does that fucking mean exactly? Were you ever going to tell me?”  
“I don’t know.” she admitted “possibly.”  
“Possibly.” he repeated with a sarcastic laugh “you’re fucking unbelievable.”  
“Well sorry for being hesitant to tell you. Based on the way your acting now I wasn’t wrong about what your reaction would be.” she snapped, angry herself now  
“Hell yes I’m fucking angry. Not because of the baby, I mean I got to be honest with you, I never pictured myself having another baby, especially this late in life, but you shouldn’t have kept it from me. You lied to me for a month.”  
“Technically I didn’t lie-”  
“I swear to God if you say you didn’t lie, you just didn’t tell me I’m going to snap. It’s the same fucking thing.”  
She stared at him, swallowing hard, lost for words   
“So what now?” she finally asked  
“I don’t’ know. I’ve had five minutes to process this, you’ve have a month. Can you give me some fucking time to catch up?” his eyes flashed fire “I got to get out of here for awhile.” he moved, grabbing his wallet and shoving it in his pocket, picking up his keys  
“Wait,you’re just going to leave in the middle of this?” she asked incrediously  
“It’s better for both of us if I do. I’ll call you later.” he mumbled, picking up his shoes, not bothering to put them on as he opened the apartment door, slamming it behind him.

:::

“Look, I’m not disagreeing with you. The way she went about telling you she was pregnant was bogus as fuck. You have every right be up upset about that, but...putting all that aside, what are you going to do now?” Jeff was asking Norman over the phone, after he’d finally calmed his friend down enough to get the story from him  
“I don’t fucking know.”  
“And you’re sure she’s telling the truth? That the baby is yours?”  
“I honestly don’t think she’d lie about that. Considering I don’t believe she had any intention of telling me had I not showed up on her doorstep. And the timing is right. I know my lawyers will demand a paternity test, but yeah, I’m pretty sure the baby is mine.” he sighed  
“I guess congratulations is in order.” Jeff replied   
“Thanks.” Norman laughed sarcastically  
“What are you going to say to her when you go back?”  
“I don’t know that either. I left it pretty bad.”  
“Do you want the kid?” Jeff asked honestly  
“Yes and no. Fuck I’m too old to be starting over with a new baby. But it’s my baby, you know. I’m so conflicted.”  
“I think you need to go back and talk to Jaydn, like rational adults.” Jeff instructed him  
“I just need a minute. I can’t even look at her right now.”  
“I get that she lied and you’re pissed. But look at it from her view point. You two had a one night stand. She probably didn’t know how the hell to bring it up. Like hey Norman, remember when we fucked that night without a condom? Well guess what...I mean, it does make her sounds slightly psycho put that way.”  
“She could have found some way in the last month to tell me. It’s not like we didn’t talk.”  
“She could have. But she didn’t. And she was wrong. And she obviously knows that now. So get over that part and figure out what the fuck you are going to do now, because if you are going to claim this baby, you got to find a way to deal with this chick for the next fucking 18 or more years. It helps if things are amicable.”  
“Thank you wise one.”  
“you’re welcome.” Jeff replied with a slight chuckle  
“This is a fucking mess.”  
“Yeah, but it happens when people have unprotected sex.”  
“I don’t need a sex education lesson.”  
“you sure? Because it sounds like you may have failed that class.”  
“Goodbye dick head.”  
“Bye daddy.” Jeff laughed, and Norman hung up in his ear.

:::

“I know you’re pissed at me. But can we just forgot about the us factor for a moment.? The issue now, is the baby. Us we can work on, or we can be done if that’s what you want, fine. I made a mistake, and if it makes you feel better to hold it against me, then so be it, the choice is yours.” Jaydn was glaring at him from where she stood a few feet across from him in her living room. After he‘d talked to Jeff he‘d taken a drive to clear his head, and ended up right back at her apartment, where they‘d been hashing out the baby development for well over an hour. They‘d shouted, faught, but now, they both just felt exhausted.  
“I don’t know where we stand right now. Right now I’m so fucking pissed.”  
“So be pissed. But in the end, you have two choices. You can choose to be a part of this babies life, or you can chose to walk away. I’m not after you for your money. I am financially stable enough that I can support us both just fine. But what I will not tolerate, is you being wishy washy about the situation. No popping in and out when it’s convenient. You’re either there for it all or not there at all. plain and simple”  
“I just need alittle time.” Norman replied  
“That’s fine. You have about six months. If you want the paternity test done I’ll do it. I’m sure it will make everyone in your life feel a lot better about the whole thing, including you. I’m not a whore Norman, despite what you might think.”  
He glared at her “I never called you a whore Jaydn.”  
“You asked if the baby was yours. Pretty much the same thing.” she replied quietly “you know, I was pissed too when I found out I was pregnant.”  
He looked at her in confusion   
“you didn’t use a condom, what the fuck did we expect? But I was never pissed at just you. I take responsibility for my part in this. I hope you can grow up and realize you had a part in this too.”  
“I do realize I had a part in this-”  
“I’m so done talking to you about this. For the last hour we’ve rehashed the same conversation over and over. I just want you to leave.” she crossed over to her door, opening it “please go, it’s my turn to slam this behind you.”  
“Jaydn.” he stood up with a sigh, about to say more but the look on her face stopped him “I’ll call you tomorrow OK?”  
“yep.” she replied stiffly as he walked past her. He moved to give her a hug but she shrank away “please don’t.”  
“goodnight.” he sighed.  
She slammed the door in response.


	6. Chapter 6

“Are you OK?” Amy handled Jaydn a bottle of water and sat down across from her on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her “It sounds like yesterday was really rough.”  
Jaydn sighed “I would have called, but I knew Kevin was off because it was Sunday, and honestly I wasn’t in the mood to talk anyway, and I was so glad work was slammed today because it kept me from focusing on what a fucking disaster my life has become. But now that I’m trying to wind down, it’s like my mind won’t shut up. It keep replaying that stupid conversation with Norman over and over and ways I could of made it better.”  
“In your defense, I’m not sure how much better an announcement like that could have gone.” she shrugged, thinking of the bits and pieces of conversations Jaydn had filled her in on in between patients that painted a much bigger, messy picture. “Have you heard from him today?”  
“He texted earlier to ask what time I get off work. I told him I’m usually home around six.”  
“Is he supposed to stop by? Should I leave?” she asked, glancing at the clock, seeing that it was almost that time now.  
“He never replied, I assumed that’s where he was going with it, but I’m not sitting around waiting for him to show up.” she shrugged “I don’t know what he’d possibly want to come by for anyway, we’ve said everything we can possibly say and then some, so unless he’s got a magical fairy wand with a solution, I don’t even see the point.”  
“Maybe he’ll be more level headed.” she pointed out “but to be honest with you, I don’t want to be here when he shows up. It’s none of my business being in the middle of your business.” She stood up  
“You don’t have to rush off Ames.” Jaydn protested  
“I know. But I got to go home anyway and make dinner. But if you need me for anything, you call me OK?”  
“Thanks.” Jaydn stood up and hugged her “I love you.”  
“Love you too woman. And don’t let anyone, including Norman, make you feel bad about yourself. Or about this guy.” she added, placing a hand on Jaydns stomach  
“what if it’s a girl?”  
“What if it’s twins?” Amy countered with an evil grin  
“then you’re taking one of them.” Jaydn retorted  
Amy laughed “Call me later.”  
“I will.” Jaydn agreed, opening the door for Amy. They both stopped short when they saw Norman standing there,poised to knock on the door  
“Hey Norman!” Amy greeted him “you scared me.”  
“sorry, hey Amy.” Norman smiled at her, then turned to Jaydn “Can we talk a minute?”  
“sure.” Jaydn nodded “I’ll talk to you later, Amy.”  
“Have a good night. See you around Norman.”  
“bye.” he called after her as she made her way down the steps to the parking lot  
“come in.” Jaydn instructed, closing the door after him “I figured you’d be calling”  
“I wasn’t sure if you’d answer the phone to be honest.” he replied  
“I’m not sure if I would of either.” she answered honestly, moving towards the kitchen “Can I get you something to drink?”  
“I’m fine, thanks.”   
“OK.” she shrugged, moving back out to the living room and reclaiming her seat on the couch “What brings you by? Besides the obvious I mean?”  
“Listen. I know you’re going to be pissed.” he sat slowly, “But considering you’re already pissed, I figured I’d talk to you about this now. After I talked to a few friends, I had to talk to my manager about everything, who of course, insisted bringing my lawyer in on this. Before we proceed any further...” he trailed off, looking uncomfortable “I’m not implying you slept around with other men. But it’s just a legality issue. They want us to get a blood test to prove paternity.”  
She’d been prepared for it, but it still stung. She wasn’t even angry. Hurt mostly. She understood the reasons his representatives would request it, but part of her felt like he wanted it just as much as they did.Any imaginary bond she’d thought they’d made was clearly just that, an imaginary one. Who bonds that tightly after a weekend and a night or two of sex? She was a fool.   
“Of course.” she swallowed hard  
“We can do it as soon as Wednesday, and it will be quick and discreet. We’ll have the results before the weekend.” he informed her   
“I’m glad you took the liberty to go ahead and arrange all that.” she replied coldly  
“It wasn’t me exactly-”  
“Right, your people.” she interrupted “So tell me Norman, because I’m curious. When the test comes back and says you’re the father, just being hypothetical here, of course, are your people going to continue to call the shots about this pregnancy? Because that’s not going to fucking fly with me.”  
“Look, once we get this part out of the way, then we discuss other...legalities.”  
“I love how you refer to the baby as a legality.”  
“I didn’t come here to fight with you Jaydn.” he sighed “I have to have my ‘i’s dotted and my ‘t’s crossed, that’s all.”  
“I know. God forbid someone try to swoop in and take advantage of you. Or soil your reputation.”  
“It’s not just about my career or my money-”  
“Which I don’t want any of.” she interrupted  
“It’s just protocol. Can you please just not make too big of a deal out of this?”  
“Fine. What time do I need to be there Wednesday?”  
“Seven AM. Don’t eat. You’ll come in, fill out the paper work, they’ll take our blood, and by Friday we’ll know the baby-”  
“Is yours?” she supplied “you can’t even say it? Can’t even entertain the possibility?” Was it possible to feel more hurt and humiliated right now? She wondered  
“I’m going to be honest with you Jaydn. I love kids. But I don’t know that I want another one. However, if it does turn out that the baby is mine, I’ll do my part.”  
“How very noble of you.”  
“What the fuck fuck do you want from me here?!” he finally exclaimed, standing up “I’m trying to be civil about this. I barely know you OK? I like you, I thought it would be nice to get to know you, and yeah, the sex was fantastic. But the thought of raising a baby and having a family with you hadn’t quite entered the equation quite yet for me. So I’m sorry if I’m not acting like an over joyed expectant parent right now.”  
She stood up too, feeling indignant “Can I ask you something?” she asked quietly  
“what?”  
“do you think I’m lying about the baby being yours?”  
“I told you, this is all just protocol-”  
“that’s not what I meant. I told you that I would get the paternity test and I will. I’m asking you, do you yourself, think there’s a possibility that I’m lying about this baby being yours?”  
“I feel screwed no matter how I answer this question.” he replied honestly  
“then just answer it how you want to.”  
“OK. I would hope, that the person I met and liked, and thought that you were, would never lie about this in a million years. But I also have to remember that i barely know you, and that the possibility could be there that you saw a good opportunity and you are. I’m sorry.”  
“Me too.” she replied sadly  
“I’m not doing this to hurt you.”  
“I know. It’s protocol.” she threw this word back in his face, and , rubbed her eye, praying that the stupid water works would hold off “I’m just really sad because the person I met, and liked, I had hoped would trust me enough to know that I would never lie about something like this. And I know this is a blow to your career, and reputation. But you know, it’s kind of a blow to mine too. I never asked for this either.”  
“I don’t know what to say.” he said softly  
She shrugged “there’s nothing you can say.” She smiled at him through teary eyes “I’ll see you on Wednesday.” she added, wiping her face   
“Jaydn don’t cry.” he pleaded “We’ll figure this out OK? I’m not trying to be a jerk here.”  
“Just please get out of my face. I don’t want to deal with you right now.”  
“Jay-”  
“Please Norman.” she turned to him, pissed that she couldn’t stop the tears,upset because she understood his logic but was still hurt by it “please just go.”  
“I’ll see you Wednesday.” he sighed, when she turned away from him, and a minute later she heard the door shut, which gave her silent permission to cry as hard as her broken heart wanted too.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, sorry for the very short update. We are headed to Walker Stalker in Nashville so it will probably be a few days before we get to update. So eXcited!

Jaydn hurried down the hallway with it’s beige industrial carpet and walls that were meant to look sophisticated with their portraits of beautiful scenery, but to her just screamed boring and sterile, and hit the button to the elevator that would take her the five flights down to the parking garage and the hell out of this clinic. She had Amy reschedule her appointments, freeing up her entire morning, even though the blood work hadn’t taken more than thirty minutes, as she’d suspected it would, but she wasn’t in the mood to return to the office and try to put on a brave happy face right now. Thankfully the elevator doors finally opened, and she stepped inside, hitting the door close, jumping alittle when a hand reached in to stop them at the last minute, and they sprang open. She sighed when Norman stepped on with her, she’d been hoping to avoid him. They’d barely spoken while they were waiting to be called back to the lab, and luckily had been taken to separate rooms. Now it looks like her luck had run out.  
“Are you trying to run away from me?” he asked when the door closed again and they began their slow decent  
“Unsuccessfully apparently.” she replied, hearing the cold tone of her own voice  
“Is that the plan? To just avoid me ?”  
“For as long as possible.”  
“I was hoping we could be grown ups about all this.”  
“I am being grown up. I haven’t cussed you out have I?”  
“Not today, but it’s still early.” he pointed out  
She tried but couldn’t help the small smile that formed on her face at that statement  
“Why don’t you let me take you out for breakfast?” he suggested “I know you haven’t eaten, and I’m starving.”  
“I don’t think so.”  
“Come on Jaydn, what’s the harm in it really?”  
“I’m not really in a hurry to spend time with someone who thinks I’m out to take them for their money.”  
“I never said that and you know it. You know why we’re here doing this right now. However, if it makes you feel better, I’ll let you pay.” he joked, grinning at her as the door opened  
“Have a good day Norman.” she said stiffly, moving past him  
“Jay-” he sighed, grabbing her arm “Come on, it’s breakfast. We’ll keep it simple and light. Please?”  
“Why would you even want to?”  
“Because, despite all the crap that’s going on right now, I did really like spending time with you. And, if it turns out that this baby is mine, we’re going to have to learn to get along anyway.”  
“I thought you said we’d cross that bridge when we got there.”  
“I know what I said. I know I came off like a jerk. I am sorry about that. Regardless of how this all turns out, I still want to try to be friends.” He nodded his head towards his truck “please?”  
She sighed, having an internal debate about why all this was a bad idea, but in the end giving in to the one or two reasons she wanted to say yes. “fine. but I have to be back at the office in a while.”  
“I’ll bring you back here right after, I promise.” he assured her, opening the passenger door for her to get in.  
“you can at least wipe that smug grin off your face.” she mumbled as she climbed in and he shut the door behind her, but his smile only grew larger at her comment.  
*

“The best thing about being pregnant? I can eat this whole stack of pancakes and not feel a single ounce of guilt.” Jaydn announced twenty minutes later as they sat in in IHOP, a stack of cinnabon pancakes in front of her. Norman had chosen a healthier alternative, a omelet and some fresh fruit.  
“Are you sure there’s room in you for all those pancakes and a baby?” he asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow as he took a sip of his coffee  
“I guess I’m going to find out. “ she shrugged, cutting in the stack, pausing “ would you like some?”  
“I might have a bite” he said reluctantly “unlike you though, I don’t get to use pregnancy as an excuse for a growing belly when it starts to happen, so I need to be careful.”  
“you’re not anywhere near fat. here.” she cut a portion of her pancakes and passed it to him “just eat it.”  
“damn it is good.” he sighed, closing his eyes as he bit into it  
“I told you.” she smiled, signaling the waitress “could I get another glass of water? And some orange juice?”  
“of course.” she smiled, but her smile was more directed at Norman as she walked away from their table  
“You seem in a slightly better mood” Norman observed  
“I was hangry. I could of took a bite out of you if you’d of offered.”  
“You kind of did, remember?”  
“that was nothing.” she waved her fork “but in my defense, I was like that before I was pregnant.”  
“An angry evil person when you are hungry?”  
“Very much so.” she laughed, thanking the waitress who reappeared at their table. She lingered for a minute like she wanted to say something to him but then moved on  
“I think you have a fan.” Jaydn pointed out  
“At least she’s letting me eat first.” he replied dryly  
“Lack of privacy would get annoying sometimes.” she agreed  
“I know I said I would’t bring this up, but if things turn out to be...as you say they are.” he squirmed uncomfortably “you’re going to lose some of your privacy too. You need to be prepared for that.”  
“Maybe it will be good for my business. I’ll offer free neutering to dogs and men who don’t want to accidently knock up a woman”  
“Ouch. But deserved.” he sipped his coffee “so you plan on staying in Miami then?”  
“where else would I go?”  
“I don’t know? Someplace a little more North.”  
She looked at him in surprise “first your adamant that this baby is not yours, now your suggesting that I think about moving?”  
“I was just asking what you thought about doing” he clarified, “this is all in hypothetical of course.”  
“of course.” she rolled her eyes “Well, since my practice is here, I imagine I’ll stay right where I am. You yourself said that Miami wasn’t that far away.”  
“For extended visits. But it’s not like it’s pop in and say hi close.” he replied  
“I thought we were going to cross that bridge when we got to it.”  
“I wish I’d never of used that expression, because you keep saying it now and I’m starting to hate it.” he sighed  
“Sorry. I don’t know what you want me to say? That I’ll move closer? You move closer.”  
“I can’t just uproot my whole career.” he pointed out  
“But I can?”  
“Well, technically, yes. alot easier than I could. And after the baby, who knows, you might want to take some time off. It’m just saying it’s a more practical solution.”  
“well hey, luckily we don’t have to worry about it yet though right?” she smiled brightly “I mean, you have a whole day and a half before you got to start thinking about life changing decisions.”  
“Don’t start getting fired up on me now. I’m just throwing out suggestions.”  
“well then throw one out I want to hear”  
“I don’t know what you want to hear!” he said louder than he meant, causing their waitress to look over at them curiously  
”Did I ever tell you about my parents?” She asked suddenly  
”No, I don‘t think the opportunity really came up to talk about stuff like that.” he admitted  
”They died, when I was two. A car crash. I lived in eleven different foster homes before my adoptive parents made me their forever family when I was 7. That‘s so fucking hard on a kid.”  
”Im sorry.” he said, meaning it  
“I don’t want your money or your material things Norman. What I want is really pretty simple. I just want to know that regardless of anything else, this baby will be brought up with a mom, and a dad that are present in his or her life and makes them feel like they are wanted and loved. That’s all. I don’t think that’s asking too much.”  
“I agree.” he replied softly “and I’ll make a promise to you know, that if i’m the dad, I will make every effort to make sure that happens. I promise.”  
“Good.” she picked up her fork again and started eating her pancakes “are you going to eat that fruit?”  
“It’s yours.” he smiled, shaking his head and sliding the bowl across the table to her.  
*

“so are you and Jaydn back on good terms then?” Jeff asked the next day “I mean, you’re talking, it sounds like everything went OK with the lab work, it’s like watching a fucked up game of ping pong.”  
“Trying feeling like the ball.” Norman retorted, pacing back and forth in his hotel room “I honestly don’t know where we’re at” he said into the phone  
“Well, you’ll know after tomorrow” Jeff pointed out “are you nervous?”  
“Terrified, thanks.”  
“What do you want to happen?” he asked curiously  
“What do you mean?” Norman asked  
“I mean, do you want the kid to be yours? Or would you rather just find out this woman is bat shit crazy and be done with it all?”  
“I don’t fucking know.” he sighed, sitting down on the chair “I mean, Jaydns nice, and I like her, but a baby? I honestly never thought about it. I just assumed I was done with raising kids now that mine is out and on his own. It’s a scary thought, kind of like being a first time father all over again.”  
“It is scary.”  
“What would you do if you were me?”  
“I don’t know. I was you once upon a time. I love my kids, but wow, a whole new baby. It’s life changing.”  
“I appreciate that input and wisdom.”  
“Don’t go getting all mad at me, you’re the one who knocked her up.”  
“I don’t know that I-....” he trailed off. Deep down a part of him pretty much knew that Jaydn was telling the truth, or at the least, thought there was enough possibility that it was his, or she wouldn’t have so readily agreed to a paternity test. And it’s not like the issue was being sensationalized. In fact, only select few even knew of the situation, so it’s not like she was gaining publicity from it. “What do I do, Jeff?”  
“Suck it up.” Jeff replied knowingly “you knew from the beginning a test wasn’t necessary, but tomorrow, when you find out for sure. You fucking apologize and kiss ass and be the man she needs you to be, not for her, but for this kid.”  
“There’s the advice I’ve been waiting to hear.” Norman laughed  
“well, I was trying to be subtle.”  
“Not your strong point.”  
“Fuck off.” Jeff laughed “You’ll also have a lot of decisions to make, regarding your rights and custody agreements and all that.”  
“let’s just...wait until it all sinks in. Plus, on the one off chance that I’m stressing about nothing-”  
“I get it.” Jeff interrupted “It’s a small chance though, you realize.”  
“I’m aware.” he sighed.  
“you guys should of went on Maury.”  
“really Jeff?”  
“Just saying. you wanted publicity for your movie, and you got it, here’s some more”  
“Not the same thing asshole.”  
But Jeff was laughing too hard to answer 

*

“I think I feel sicker than I did the night that I went to that stupid movie trivia.” Jaydn announced to Amy Friday morning  
“Aww, you poor thing. When are you supposed to hear from the doctor?”  
“the lab results should be in sometime this morning, an then he’ll call both of us.”  
“you don’t have to go in?”  
“No.” Jaydn finished clipping the dog in front of hers toenails while Amy rubbed her head lightly “I mean, I guess we could of, but there wasn’t really a need.”  
“well, you already know the answer, so you have nothing to worry about”  
“Wrong. Because I know the answer, I have everything to worry about.” she sighed  
“What do you mean?”  
“I mean what happens next? Norman kind of brought that up last night. Hypothetically of course.”  
“of course.”  
“He pointed out that it would be easier if I moved my practice than it would be for him to try to make visits down here during his filming schedules.”  
“wait, you’re moving?!” she asked  
“I never said that, I said he suggested it”  
“and did you tell him to shove it?”  
“I didn’t really tell him anything.” she admitted  
“you can’t move Jaydn. no.” Amy frowned , shaking her head stubbornly  
Jaydn laughed “no one is moving anywhere yet.”  
“Ever”  
She laughed again “you could always come with. get the hell out of this town like we’ve talked about for years.”  
“yeah, but that was when I was single. Now I have Kevin and his ass is rooted to this town, he isn’t going anywhere, and neither are you.”  
“we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”  
“I hate that expression.”  
“Really? I’ve grown quite fond of it.”  
*  
“So?” Sarah looked at Norman as he hung up his cell phone, eyeing him wearily  
“looks like I’m an expectant father.” he replied calmly, even though inside he was anything but  
“Jesus Christ, Norman. So she was telling the fucking truth? Now what?”  
“I’ve got to go see her.” he stood up, grabbing his keys “I’ll catch you later Sarah”  
“But we’ve got a lot of stuff we need to talk about !” she called after him ”We‘ve got a lawyers we need to call and legalities to work out.”  
“Right now, the only person I’m worried about talking to is Jaydn. “ he called back “I’ve got six months to work out the rest of the shit.” Six months, he repeated to himself as he stepped into the elevator. Holy shit, in six months, he was going to be a new dad.  
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to scream or throw up. maybe both.


	8. Chapter 8

She’d obviously just gotten out of the shower when he knocked on her door. She answered in a pair of yoga pants and a t shirt that was still clinging to to half wet body, and her hair was thrown up in a towel, water dripping down the sides of her face. She was also, of course, barefoot, he noticed, not being able to help smiling inside  
“Norman.” she greeted him, leaning into the door frame “What brings you by?”  
She didn’t look that excited to see him, not that he could blame her, he’d been a little bit of an ass. But they needed to talk, and she was going to do it whether she really wanted to or not.   
“We need to talk.” he announced, ducking past her, catching her off guard and entering her living room  
“please, come in.” she said sarcastically, shutting the door behind him before turning to face him “what do you want?”  
“You know why I’m here.” he replied quietly  
“You tell me.” she shrugged  
“You’re really going to make me say it?”  
“If you want to have a civilized conversation” she replied, crossing her arms stubbornly  
“Fine. I’m sorry. I never should have doubted you. But Jaydn, you’ve got to understand my hesitation, I wasn’t doing it to purposely hurt you.”  
“I understood. It was the way you went about it that hurt.” she admitted   
“I am sorry”  
“Let’s just move on from it. What do we do now?”   
“I guess we’re having a baby.” he shrugged  
“I thought you didn’t want a baby?”   
“I mean, technically I didn’t, and I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that I’m going to be having another kid, but you’ve already made your decision that you were keeping it so I’m going to have to get on board eventually.”  
“I already told you, you don’t have to be a part of the babies life. If you want to sign your rights over when it’s born, it’s up to you. I don’t want or expect anything from you”  
“You’re kidding me right?” his eyes flashed anger “you think I’d just sign over my rights to this baby?”  
“You said you didn’t want it.”  
“I said I wasn’t sure I did. But that’s just talk. That’s shock of the situation. That’s not seeing this coming in a million fucking years. But of course I’m going to do everything I can for him or her. It’s my baby, I own up to my responsibilities.”  
“OK.” she replied calmly, moving into the kitchen and grabbing herself a bottle of water, “you want a beer? I can’t drink it.”  
“sure.” he followed behind her into the kitchen, taking it from her  
“I’m not moving, by the way.” she informed him, as he went to take a drink  
He sighed and took a long swallow “I hope eventually I can get you to change your mind. but I won’t push it for now. In the mean time, we’ll work something out.”  
“So do I have a lot of long drawn out custody battles to look forward to?” she asked, sitting down on the couch  
“I hope not. We’ll work out something with my lawyer, in the terms of support-”  
“I don’t want-”  
“Stop. it’s happening. I told you, I take care of what’s mine. All I ask is that you respect me equally.”  
“in what way?”  
“Don’t fight me for parental rights and visitations.”  
“I wouldn’t do that.”  
“People get weird and vindictive. “ he shrugged  
“I told you about my upbringing. The more you’re in this babies life, the better.”  
“The other thing is privacy. I like to keep my private life just that-private. Once word gets out about this, it’s going to become insane for both of us for awhile. The less the tabloids can write about, the better.”  
“I’m one hundred percent behind that statement.” She agreed  
“good.”  
“Norman?” she asked, looking up at him  
“what?”  
“would you like to just hang out for awhile? Talk? Maybe order in dinner? It’d be nice if the two of us got to know each other alittle better on something other than an intimate level, since we are having a baby and all I mean”  
“I kind of liked the intimate level.” he joked, causing her to blush “but yes, that sounds nice.”  
“I’m going to get dressed.” she informed him “you figure out what you want to eat.” she called as she disappeared down the hall and into the bathroom

*

Jaydn missed him more than she thought she would. They’d hung out for a good week just getting to know each other on an intimately personal level, even alittle bit disappointingly, the only physical contact she’d had with him since he’d stopped at her house had been a couple hugs and cheek kisses. But he’d had to go back to New York for awhile, deal with some legal issues and some press releases, and it had been three weeks since she’d seen him. Was it her hormones that was making her miss him so much or was it more? She didn’t want to think about it. They talked or texted almost nightly but it wasn’t the same. So far no body had caught wind of her condition except for a few close people, and she’d been lucky that she hadn’t been starting to show, but now that she was slightly over the four month mark, her belly was starting to bulge slightly and she’d had to buy some looser fitting clothes. She’d been able to hide it with her lab coat but it wouldn’t be too much longer before people would start noticing. She’d taken to wearing baggier shirts but highly doubted she’d be one of those lucky women who could keep it hidden much longer. Honestly, she really wasn’t that worried about people around her finding out, but she’d have some explaining to do about who the father was, and she was trying to give Norman the respect and privacy he’d asked for. He admitted that eventually he’d probably have to make an official announcement, but wanted to hold off for awhile, and she didn’t mind, she wasn’t in a hurry to have her life invaded anymore than necessary.  
“Penny for your thoughts?” Amy asked  
She looked up from the stack of paper work on her desk and smiled “I’m just ordering new medicines and some other supplies. We’ve got a bunch of cats to neuter tomorrow.”  
“I saw that. I’m still tempted to throw a human or two in there too.” Amy joked “do you need anything before I head out?”  
Jaydn glanced at the clock “No, I’m fine. Have a good night Ames.”  
“You too.” Amy smiled at her “I’ll lock up as I leave OK?”  
“thank you.” Jaydn called after her, going back to her stack of paper work distractedly  
“got time for one more patient?”  
She screamed involuntarily at the male voice and looked up, her heart pounding in her chest when she saw Norman standing there  
“Holy shit Norman you scared the fuck out of me.” she exclaimed  
“Sorry, you OK?” he set the pet carrier he was holding down and crossed over to her “Amy let me in as she was leaving.”  
“Let’s just say if I was a few months further along you might have pushed me into early labor.”  
“Well let’s try to avoid that OK?” he hugged her then, and she sighed, breathing in the scent of him  
“What are you doing here anyway?”  
“Just got in from New York. I actually wasn’t lying about the patient thing. He’s been acting funny.” he nodded to the cat in the carrier “I don’t know if he got into something or what but he is moodier than usual for a cat. Just wants to lay around”  
She glanced at the carrier and nodded “sure, bring him on back to the examine room.”  
“Are you sure? I hate to ask but it’s late and-”  
“Norman, if you can’t benefit from our friendship than what’s the point?” she interrupted  
He raised his eyebrow and she caught the double meaning, blushing   
“You know what I meant.” she sighed, bending to look through the carrier at the cat “Hey baby.” she coo’d at it, and got a meow in response   
“I can take him out” Norman offered  
“Please.” she turned to wash her hands as Norman pulled him out of the carrier.   
He watched as she did a thorough examination on him, talking softly the whole time, and the damn cat ate it up, loving on her instead of hissing and being a typical asshole  
“All the vitals are fine.” Jaydn announced after a few minutes. “but I think I did find the problem.”  
“what is it?” Norman asked in concern, moving towards her  
“He’s got something stuck in this front paw pad. It’s obviously very tender.” she touched the paw and was rewarded with a low hiss “it would explain the laying around part, it’s probably hurts to walk on.”  
“he did run out last night.” Norman sighed “I had to chase him back inside.”  
“It’s probably just a splinter or a thorn or but it’s deep enough he can’t get it himself. If you hold him tight and talk to him, I might be able to get it quickly without going to deeper extremes.”  
Norman nodded and held the cat, talking lovingly while Jaydn picked up her tweezer like instrument and separated the cats paw, who protested loudly but she quickly yanked the small thorn from between his toes  
“I’m sorry.” she told him sympatrically “but you feel better don’t you?”   
The cat was still growling at her and trying to get away from Norman  
“I’ll give you some triple antibiotic to put on it for a few days, and I’ll give him a small dose of pain medicine, but he’ll be feeling like a new cat in a few hours.” she announced, and before the cat could protest she’d already injected him with the shot. “he’s going to hate me.” she added, feeling bad  
“He hates everyone.” Norman petted the cat “you’re OK, it’s over now.” he put the cat back in the carrier and turned to Jaydn “thank you. I never would have noticed that.”  
“It’s not a problem.” she was washing her hands “I wish everything was that simple.”  
“Me too.” he agreed “Got plans tonight?”  
“Well my first order of business is a shower.” she announced   
“Want some company?” he asked  
“The cats cute, but I don’t think he wants to hang out with me.” she joked  
He laughed “I was kind of referring to his owner.”  
“Well, he’s cute too” she flirted back  
“why don’t I take the cat back to the hotel and meet you at your place in about in hour?”  
“OK.” she replied, feeling shy suddenly  
He surprised her with a quick kiss to the lips “come on, I’ll walk you out to the car.”

*

She woke up curled on the couch, her head in Normans lap. He had his hand on her back and was gently rubbing it, almost soothingly, his attention still focused on the TV. He was watching some interview about rock icons and she blinked, trying to focus her eyes in the dim light.  
“Hey” she whispered, her voice sounding hoarse to hear own ears as she sat up slowly “I’m so sorry. How long have I been sleeping?”  
“Long enough for Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin both to die.” he informed her, gesturing to the TV  
“That’s depressing. I have to say I’m not sorry I missed it. I’m embarrassed though.”  
“Don’t be. You must have needed it.”  
“what happened to the movie?”  
“Bruce Willis saved the day. Same old story.”  
“Should have went with the scary movie.”  
“Sure. Watch a ghost movie and then send me home alone.” he teased  
She lay back on her back and rested her head back in his lap “you wouldn’t of had to go home”  
“No?” he asked, running his fingers through her hair “maybe I should have let you put it in then.”  
She grinned “maybe I’m not quite awake yet but that sounded slightly kinky and like it should have been said from me.”  
“True. Except you did let me put it it. Exhibit A.” he placed his hand on her belly playfully  
She blushed and laughed out loud “this conversation went down hill fast.”  
“Conversation isn’t the only thing that can go down right now.”  
“Really?” she pretended to be shocked by his statement “Is someone feeling alittle ornery tonight?”  
“someone is feeling fucking horny tonight. You’ve had your head on my lap all night”  
Jaydn grinned “Well all you had to do is say something”  
“I just did.” he pointed out  
“It’s about time”   
“what do you mean?” he looked confused  
“I don’t know, I was beginning to feel like you didn’t want to touch me.”  
“I was trying to be respectful.”  
“Respect is over rated.”   
“here.” he sat her up and put an arm around her, taking her hand and placing it on his crotch “does it seem like I feel respectful right now?”  
“God I fucking hope not.” she sighed, caressing him through his pants  
He let out a small groan and pulled her face to his, kissing her throughly. She moved so that she was straddling his lap, loving the feel of his desire beneath her as she kissed him back. His hands moved to her back, reaching up underneath her shirt to to un-clip her bra. She pulled away enough to take it off but hesitated when he went to lift her shirt  
“what?” he asked  
“I’m really self conscious.” she admitted  
“you’re sitting on my cock right now does it feel like there’s any way in hell I don’t like the way you look right now?” he asked roughly, and to prove a point grinded into her “now get your fucking shirt off.”  
“get yours off.” she demanded back, but did as he said and pulled her shirt off, glad that he joined her, and she spayed her hands on his chest as he cupped her breast, loving the smooth feel of his skin under her hands. His hands wandered from her breast, down her back, and dipped into the loose fabric of the stretchy pants she’d thrown on after she’d showed. Before she could protest his mouth was on hers, his tongue invading it, then moving down to her neck, her chest, her breast, all the while his other hand caressing her back and playing inside her pants  
“lets go to the bedroom.” she suggested  
“about fucking time.” he mocked,throwing her earlier sentence back in her face.   
She grinned, moving off of him, reaching to help pull him up this time, smiling when he hugged her from behind, holding her close, kissing her neck   
“you still look sexy as fuck, by the way. Don’t ever doubt that.” he mumbled  
She smiled, moving to turn in his arms but he slapped her butt playfully “  
“nope, bedroom, now.”

*

She woke up the next morning alone, and for a moment thought maybe she’d dreamt the whole night, a feeling of disappointment filling her body. Then she smelled the coffee, and smiled to herself, dragging her body out of bed. She grabbed the brush next to her night stand and did a quick brush of her hair, wincing when it caught a tangle, and threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top before making her way out to the kitchen. Norman was sitting there, playing on his phone, drinking coffee, and smiled at her as she entered.  
“Hey” he grinned, standing up and kissing her cheek lightly “I was just coming in to wake you. I know you have to be at the clinic and I don’t think we set an alarm.”  
“I’ve sort of got a built in one. But thank you, this is a sweet gesture.” she indicated the coffee, and frowned slightly “where’d you get bagels?”  
“You have nothing in your fridge, I ran down the street.”  
“I need to find some time to go shopping.” she agreed, taking a bagel gratefully and sitting down with her coffee “I feel like there’s never enough time to get things done anymore.”  
“Do you think you have time to see me tonight?” he asked “I’m was thinking of hanging around a few more days, if that’s ok with you.”  
“Yes. Of course.” she smiled, feeling herself blush with happiness  
“I’ve got some work projects of my own I need to meet with people about, I’ll catch up with you tonight ok?”  
“ok.” she nodded, engrossed in her bagel  
He grinned, kissing the top of her head and moving to grab his wallet and keys, picking up his cell phone  
“don’t you dare.” she warned when he aimed it at her, but it was too late, he’d already snapped a picture  
“beautiful.” he was still grinning as he shoved it it his pocket “tonight, you and me, dinner, movie, whatever you want.”  
“Anything?” she called after him as he walked to the door  
“now whose being ornery?” he asked, catching her double meaning, “but yeah, that’s included too, if you want."  
“I want."  
He blushed this time himself, and it was her turn to laugh “behave yourself." he ordered, before he disappeared out the door, leaving her with a grin on her face and feeling happier than she’d felt in a long time


End file.
